


Running the Shadows

by SadinaSaphrite



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Gabe taking his idiot Blackwatch son under his wing, Gen, How many names does Gabe call McCree? Let's count!, Mild Language, The true meaning of Blackwatch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-24
Updated: 2017-07-24
Packaged: 2018-12-06 07:14:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11595573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SadinaSaphrite/pseuds/SadinaSaphrite
Summary: “Boss, I’m pretty sure we ain’t supposed to be here.”“Of course we aren’t supposed to be in here. What clued you in? The part where we bypassed the security system or the part where we broke in through a window?” Commander Reyes glared at McCree from behind the manila folder he was flipping through. “Dumbass.”McCree and Reyes enjoy an casual infiltration mission while discussing the importance of Blackwatch.





	Running the Shadows

**Author's Note:**

> Day 2 prompt for Blackwatch Week "Breaking the Rules." This is what I always felt Blackwatch was meant to be, and not nearly as sinister as the fandom tends to portray it.

“Boss, I’m pretty sure we ain’t supposed to be here.”

“Of course we aren’t supposed to be in here. What clued you in? The part where we bypassed the security system or the part where we broke in through a window?” Commander Reyes glared at McCree from behind the manila folder he was flipping through. “Dumbass.”

They were currently in the office of Senator Wayne Thompson at two in the morning, digging through his personal files and looking for proof that he was being paid off by Talon.  
“That’s not what I meant, Boss,” McCree rubbed the back of his neck, looking nervously around the room. “I was there when Morrison-”

“That’s Strike Commander Morrison to you, punk.”

McCree rolled his eyes. “When Strike Commander Morrison gave you the debrief, he said were supposed to observe from a distance. Maybe tap some phones. This ain’t observing from a distance. If we’re caught, Overwatch will-”

“Kid,” Reyes’ voice was sharp as the glare he fixed McCree with. “Who do you work for? Morrison or me?”

“You, Boss.”

“And who do you take orders from? Overwatch or me?”

“Uh…well…”

“This is not a hard question, ingrate.”

“You, Boss.”

“Right. Seems you need a reminder of what it is we do. Here. Look through this while I dig through his computer.” He tossed another file over to McCree and took a seat at the senator’s desk, plugging a flash drive into the computer. “Who are we, kid? What is Blackwatch?”

“Blackwatch is Overwatch’s confidential black ops division,” McCree rattled off, as if he were reading a textbook.

“Correct. And why are we needed?”

“Because…uh…we do the stuff that Overwatch would get in trouble for doing?”

“You lose points for a lack of eloquence, but yes. If Overwatch broke into Senator Thompson’s personal office and dug through his stuff, there would be huge consequences. But Blackwatch? We’re here to do what _needs_ to be done. The things that Morrison and Overwatch can’t dirty their hands with, or the world and the UN would balk. That’s why Morrison can’t even ask us to do something like break into a government office. But he _can_ tell me there’s a problem, and let me take care of it however I see fit. And if I break a few laws along the way, he can honestly say that he didn’t know about it. It protects Overwatch from itself. From us.”

McCree fell silent for a bit, flipping through the file. For a while, the only sound in the office was the clicking of Reyes’ fingers on the keyboard.

“Seems like shit deal,” McCree said after a while. “What if we get caught? Seems like that means Overwatch won’t protect us. If a mission goes sideways, we get thrown under the bus, so the ‘real’ heroes get to save face.” He didn’t bother to hide the sour tone in his voice.

Reyes looked up at him from over the monitor. “You saying you want out? Regret our deal already? Don’t blame you, prison food is better than the shit we get.”

“Now hold up, I didn’t say that,” McCree said hastily. “Just sayin’ it don’t seem right, is all.”

“Then let me explain it differently, as it’s obvious that you still don’t get what we’re here for.” Reyes looked back at the monitor, talking as he worked. “We’re the good guys. But people are stupid. If they think the good guys aren’t 100% perfect, they get suspicious. There’s dissent, inquiries, doubt, and that’s a weapon the bad guys can use. Before you know it, BOOM. No more Overwatch. No more heroes protecting the world against Talon, omnics, megacorps, or whoever the hell else wants to try and mess shit up. So the good guys have to stay perfect. Only problem is that no one is perfect. It’s a lot of pressure, trying to pretend to be the perfect golden hero in front of a skeptical world.” There was something else in Reyes’ tone, but McCree didn’t interrupt. 

“That’s where we come in. Just because something’s dirty, doesn’t mean it doesn’t have to get done. We’re here to do the real work, do what Overwatch can’t be seen doing. Theft, coercion, torture, assassination…bad guys aren’t gonna play by the rules, so someone has to get down on their playing field and be willing to do the same. We’re the real heroes, kid, and no one will ever know. But you wanna know the upside to that? It means, out of everyone, we have the most freedom. No red tape. No UN restrictions. No rules. We’re here to save the world, and no one in the whole goddamn world can stop us. Hah! Got it.” Reyes typed furiously on the keyboard, then pulled the thumb drive out. “Put those files back, I got what we need.”

McCree started putting the files back and cleaning up all traces of their intrusion, thinking on everything Reyes had told him. “If we’re caught…we’re up a creek without a paddle and no one to save us. But if we don’t get caught…”

“Then we keep the world running from the shadows.” Reyes finished, cracking the window open. “Think that’s acceptable enough for an ex-Deadlock hotshot like you?”  
McCree grinned and slipped out with him.

“I think that’ll do just fine.”


End file.
